On a night when the Rolling Stones headlined on the Pyramid stage and pulled one of the biggest crowds Glastonbury has ever seen, a little under 1,000 people gathered in a tent at the far edge of the festival site to see the Bootleg Beatles in preference to their real-life counterparts' 60s rivals.

Some were lifelong Beatlemaniacs, some die-hard Jagger-haters and others just there to escape the crowds. "What's all the fuss about the Stones, really?" asked 47-year-old fan John before the show. "There are about six decent Stones songs and everyone pretends there are about 500."

The crowd were rewarded for their loyalty to the Fab Four with the most hit-heavy set of the weekend – and plenty of space to dance. Which they duly did.

"I've seen the Bootleg Beatles three times before," said 25-year-old Stacey, there with a friend. "We just decided that, although we do like the Stones, we prefer the music of the Beatles. We'd be going to see the Stones just because it's them and not because, actually, we'd enjoy them more as artists."

"All of my friends have gone to see the Stones," admitted 40-year-old Simon, "and I love the Stones, but whenever I've been to Glastonbury – this is my ninth time – my best experiences have always been in smaller tents. The Stones will be epic, but it'll be like watching them on telly. This will be fun, and I'll dance, and I'll know all the words and I'll just have a good time."

It's hard to imagine that he didn't. A faithful opening salvo of I Saw Her Standing There, She Loves You and I Wanna Hold Your Hand had everyone up and bopping, from teens in caps and high-tops waving iPhones to veterans old enough to have seen the real deal. In the quieter moments, you could hear Jagger et al half a mile away, but few wandered off. By the time the tribute band launched into Help!, six hits in, the crowd had doubled in size.

"They've got more people, but we've aged better," quipped Bootleg Lennon as they kicked into A Hard Day's Night. And when make-believe Macca took to the stage alone to lead the audience through Yesterday, he told them: "You've got to be a bit louder cos we've got to drown out the Stones!" When the band returned in full Sgt Pepper regalia, the crowd roared and rose to the occasion, a small but cheery gang of rebels, forgoing Gimme Shelter for Helter Skelter and, yes, getting satisfaction.

John Whale's last big festival was the Isle of Wight in 1970 when he saw Hendrix and the Doors. But he had to see the Stones at Glastonbury this year. However, when he got there the 62-year-old discovered that the breathing apparatus he needs to stay alive when he sleeps wouldn't work